Excited by the video below? This blog post is for you! An in depth look at the construction of a beautiful DIY Conference table using Haksons Supplies from BohriAli
This winter, we took up a DIY project that was on our minds since a while. We had an old sturdy door from our older office which had 4 windows with glasses in it. This made it a really good option to incorporate some elements and upcycle it to make it a beautiful resin table top! And so, we started out designing this table and brainstorming on what it would symbolise. A lot of ideas came to the fore but the one that stood out was to make this table all about our company! Almost make it an inanimate brand ambassador that would also serve a purpose to the visitors that frequent our experience centre.
Make sure you view every instagram post in the blog below. They are a combination of multiple videos and images!
DESIGN
The elements of this project were inspired by history and innovation, first started off on paper and perfected digitally. We started out with sketching a few visualisations of the table and decided on a colour scheme. Thereafter, we designed a sturdy steel base that would give the table top all the attention it deserves and maintain the identity of the conference table! Finally, we decided on a few important elements that would constitute the table
- The table top would have an actual 3D dome of the company logo casted using Haksons Resin and encapsulated in the square window using Haksons Ultra Clear Resin
- Two of the other three windows would have the Haksons and BohriAli logo suspended between coloured and transparent resin
- The last window would have a canvas painting with the I Love Art motto suspended in resin
- The surface of the table would have newspaper articles featuring BohriAli and snippets of customer reviews placed on the website held together with resin
- The diversity of our customers was to be showcased on the table by painting the skyline from our branding on the table
- Lastly, there would be painted roads, actual pathways of BohriAli, which link all the elements of this project and subtly express what #BohriAliToLife is about
Materials used: Paper, markers, Pro-E (software)
Activities involved: Sketching, 3D digital modelling, testing
Time required: 2 days
Difficulty level: 7/10
Having majorly finalised the design, we started out on planning the execution to bring #BohrialiToLife.
TIP – Before you decide to get your hands dirty, make sure your design is ready and understood to the tiniest detail
TABLE CONSTRUCTION AND PREPARATION
Preparation is key. A 3D Design of the base was created using Pro-E. You can go ahead and make your own drawing on a piece of paper if not familiar with 3D softwares. The metal base was then fabricated to the very inch defined in the design. A satin white base coat was applied to the table top to give us a fresh start. Getting the foundation strong and base coat smooth was essential too get the finish we desired. The base was painted with a coat of red oxide and then matt black paint with a hint of white to give it a charcoal finish. Using a professional fabricator to make the stand is advisable!
TIP – Waterbased paint is the best bet to be used for a surface to be coated with resin
Materials used: Mild steel pipes, wooden door, primer, red oxide, satin white paint, matte black paint
Activities involved: fabrication, painting & application,
Time required: 3 days
Difficulty level: 6/10 (use of labour is advised)
THE DOME
Resin casting was definitely one of the most rewarding stages in this build as it brought out the boldest element in this project; the BohriAli logo in the form of a 3D dome. This step was a perfect example of what #BohrialiToLife stands for. A Tawa was used as a pattern for making the mould using Rubber Solution. Alternating layers of rubber solution and medical gauze on the tawa gave us a fresh mould that would help us cast the resin in the form of a dome. Rubber solution is a great option that can be used for mould making. We also made a pit for the final casting using dental powder.
We tried out the techniques we used to cast the dome and encapsulate a dome on a number of miniature experiments. These helped us achieve the confidence of pulling the dome off as we wanted.
Haksons Red Concentrated Pigment helped us achieve the perfect colour and transparency we desired for the dome.
There’s nothing more satisfying than peeling off the mould from your Resin casting! The logo graphics were added by sticking vinyl on the dome surface. Vinyl sticks perfectly on our Haksons Ultra Clear resin AFTER curing. Make sure you remove any air bubbles before advancing. Don’t be afraid to get creative!
TIP – Using a weight scale is one of the best ways to make sure you make the perfect mix with the right amount of resin and hardener. Mixing it for 5-7 minutes will give you one clear solution.
Materials used: Haksons High Gloss Resin and Hardener, Haksons Concentrated Pigment-Red , Tawa, P.O.P, Rubber solution, Mould release spray, Blow torch, White Vinyl
Activities involved: Mould making, Mixing & pouring, Mould removal, Vinyl cutting & sticking
Time required: 2 days
Difficulty level: 7/10
ELEMENTS – HAKSONS AND BOHRIALI
After completing the dome, we moved on to the other two windows that were to be filled up with Haksons and BohriAli logo. Bohriali and Haksons were laser cut from a white acrylic sheet and stuck on a layer of tinted Red resin (cured) and covered in Ultra Clear Resin. Laser cutting is a very easy and affordable way to get your designs into 3D. The red resin layer underneath the text was transparent, this helped us achieve a beautiful suspended effect with the top layer of resin.
TIP – A clean environment is a MUST! Before pouring on any surface, clean and wipe it off properly. This is the MOST IMPORTANT STEP to achieve the finest finish.
Before using a blowtorch on those bubbles, make sure you leave the torch on for 2-3 minutes to warm it up. The blue flame is what we need to pop those bubbles!
Materials used: Haksons Ultra Clear Resin & Hardener, Haksons concentrated pigment- Red, Red vinyl, White acrylic, Blow torch
Activities involved: Laser cutting, Sticking, Pouring & Mixing Resin.
Time required: 2 days
Difficulty level: 6/10
ELEMENTS – I ♥️ ART
What better way to show our passion for paints and everything DIY by hand painting a canvas with our Haksons fluorescent paints, Topped off with our favourite motto, I ♥️ ART! The same suspended look was achieved by coating the canvas and I ♥️ ART with a layer of Haksons Ultra Clear Resin. The transparency makes the painted canvas look amazing!
Materials used: Haksons fluorescent paints, Haksons Ultra Clear Resin & Hardener, Acrylic, Loctite Superviz
Activities involved: Laser cutting, Painting, Cutting, Sticking, Mixing & Pouring
Time required: 1 day
Difficulty level: 5/10
SKYLINE, NEWSPAPER ARTICLES AND REVIEWS!
Elements inspired by our biggest motivators – our customers! The skyline, carefully stenciled out, represents the diversity of customers serviced by BohriAli. The newspaper articles are just a glimpse of what you’ve helped us achieve. The reviews have really brought our online company to life. The roads, the actual pathways of BohriAli were painted on the surface of the table.
After days of hardwork and visualisation, our table was coming to life! All that was needed was one final coat that brought everything together!
TIP – Test any material you wish to coat before you do the final pour.
Materials used: Red vinyl, Red paint, Roller, Photo paper, PVA,
Activities involved: Cutting, sticking, painting
Time required: 1 day
Difficulty level: 4/10
FINAL COAT
The final stage, the most important one sealed all the elements together. 3kgs of Haksons Ultra Clear Resin was used to immortalize the elements on this month long project and what a beauty it is!
Calculating the exact amount of resin required to coat your work is very important. Do this by using a volume calculator. This will help you tremendously in achieving the right thickness of the coat and minimising wastage of resin!
TIP – A levelled surface is very important to ensure a consistent finish and no resin wastage.
Use a plastic sheet to protect your floor.
Materials used: Haksons Ultra Clear Resin & Hardener, Leveling scale, blowtorch
Activities involved: Mixing & Pouring
Time required: 1 day
Difficulty level: 7/10
Applying the final coat was extremely satisfying and rewarding. Within 24 hours the table we dreamt of was now coming to life! The contentment achieved through DIY is unparalleled! We love seeing your work on social media and the numerous emails you send us. Keep tagging us in your projects on our social media channels and who knows you might have some exciting discounts coming your way!
